Credeur had asked for protection

Fri, 08/23/2013 - 1:39pmadmin

LINK – Kerry Bertrand, considered a person of interest in the Wednesday murder of 20-year-old Skylar Credeur, opened up a Facebook account Monday.

During the two short days he was on Facebook, Bertrand, who was Credeur’s stepfather, posted several pictures in which it seemed as though he attempted to portray himself as a family man posing with members of his family. It is unclear when the pictures were taken.

Nowhere on Bertrand’s Facebook page does it state that Credeur had accused him of child molestation.

Also included among the Facebook entries were a picture of a chest wound, a picture of Bertrand lying in a hospital bed, and another which displayed scratches on a young boy’s neck.

Bertrand seemingly tried to blame Credeur for the injuries in that latter pictures by labeling it as “Skylar’s handiwork.”

Court records show that Skylar Credeur had not been accused of any abuse against anyone.

Bertrand’s final post, dated Tuesday, Aug. 20, stated, “I just talked to a court friend in Lafayette to see if I had any new warrants ... everything is clear.”

The following day Credeur was found drowned in the bathtub at her home.

Bertrand was arrested after being found in the attic of the Victor Road home while authorities were present.

Skylar Credeur’s family refused comment when contacted, citing concern about hindering the police investigation. However, the Post-Signal retrieved a copy of a Temporary Restraining Order and a Petition for Permanent Restraining Order that were both filed against Bertrand on Aug. 13 — one day after he was released from jail on Aug. 12.View the Abuse Prevention Order here.

Also, obtained by the Post-Signal was a copy of the allegations that Credeur made against Bertrand. In a checklist in which Credeur was asked to state all the ways she had been abused by Bertrand, she checked the following: “punched”, “shoved”, “kicked”, “threatened your life” and “other (sexual abuse)”.

As Bertrand sits in Acadia Parish Jail awaiting his arraignment on molestatoin charges and five counts of violating a restraining order, Credeur’s family members (understandably emotional and angry) are sitting with the knowledge that the restraining order filed just over a week prior to her death was ineffective in protecting their loved one.

Bertrand was jailed for approximately two months after Credeur approached law enforcement about the abuse she said she suffered at the hands of Bertrand. He was released on his own recognizance after an apparent paperwork foul-up.

In May, Bertrand was arrested by state police as a result of those accusations. He was released on Aug. 12 when his attorney, Kim Hayes, filed a Writ of Habeas Corpus arguing that Bertrand has a right to a speedy trial and, since he hadn’t yet been formally charged in the molestation case, he should be released.

On Aug. 16 a warrant was issued for his arrest. He eluded police until he was taken into custody this week.

District Attorney Mike Harson stated Thursday night on KATC that his office did not have enough time to compile a Bill of Information in the May molestation case because the arresting agency, Louisiana State Police, didn’t provide the case report in a timely manner. Harson says his office received that report on Thursday, Aug. 8.

“Cases are built and it takes time,” said Trooper Stephen Hammons, spokesman for Troop I. “In this particular case we were contacted on August 7th by the DA’s office and asked to provide them with a report, which we actually provided to them the very next day.

Aside from the alleged paperwork mixup, it was evident that Credeur feared Bertand following his release.

The following allegations are direct quotes from Skylar Credeur when she filed for the restraining orders:

“A few months before pressing charges in March of 2013, Kerry mentioned that I should not mention the sexual abuse because ‘it never happened’,” read the report written in Skylar Credeur’s handwriting. “I was sexually abused until the age of 16. He would come into my room at night, physically abusing me and I would fight to get away.

“Every time that I can remember being sexually abused, he told me that ‘I’ll kill you and hide your body in a swamp and no one would ever know’.”

Skylar Credeur was a 2011 graduate of Rayne High School. She was a chemistry major at University of Louisiana-Lafayette.

A memorial service is planned for her Sunday (today) beginning at 2 p.m. in the North Gym on the Rayne High campus.

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